ABSTRACT
The oldest tradition of scientific investigation of the social effects of architecture and the planned environment deals with their effect upon health. This chapter examines the effect that rehousing of a low-income Negro population from a slum area to a new, nearby public housing project had on the health of the individuals involved. Test respondents, more than controls, were likely to indicate felt improvement in their position in life, and to report themselves as rising in the world. It was expected that, due to the alteration in numerous physical aspects of their housing, test women would be more likely than controls to express "positive" reactions to specific aspects of the housing environment, and would in other ways indicate awareness of the improvement in their living circumstances. Test-control differences in the quality of housing were expected to play a role not only in physical health but also in matters of social psychological adjustment.
